Located near the village of Hamzelou in northwestern Iran, the Chehrabad salt mine is renowned for its diverse types of rock salt, gypsum, clay, and salt deposits formed during the Miocene epoch (5 to 23 million years ago). However, since 1993, when numerous mummies were discovered amidst ordinary salt crystals, extraction has been prohibited. Since 2009, the site has been protected under Iran’s Heritage Law.
The Chehrabad Salt Mine is situated 75 kilometers northwest of the city of Zanjan and is part of a large salt dome that rises 1,350 meters above sea level. It consists of clay deposits along with fragments of gypsum and salt. This salt mine holds significant importance for the local population, with evidence of salt extraction spanning four periods: the Achaemenid era (6th to 4th centuries BC), the Sassanid era (3rd to 7th centuries AD), as well as the medieval and late Islamic periods (11th/12th centuries AD and 18th to 20th centuries AD).
The head of the first ‘salt man’ on display at the National Museum of Iran.
In 1993, miners at the Douzlakh salt mine, near the villages of Hamzehli and Chehrabad in Zanjan Province, accidentally uncovered a mummy head dating back to 300 AD. This head was so well-preserved that the gold earrings retained their original color. Additionally, the hair and mustache of the mummy were also intact. Immediately, the Tehran authorities halted mining operations and dispatched a team of scientists to the site. Following deeper excavations in hopes of finding more remains, archaeologists discovered a well-preserved leather shoe. Alongside this, they found three iron knives, a woolen garment, a silver needle, a cord, a piece of leather, a whetstone, a walnut, several shards of pottery, woven fabric, and a few broken bones.
In 2004, archaeologists continued to uncover another body, and over the next six years, a total of four “salt men” were found, along with a large number of artifacts made from wood, metal tools, clothing, and ceramics. All of the “salt men” are dated to around 2,200 years ago, during the reign of the first Persian Empire, the Achaemenids. Archaeologists suspect that all the mummies were miners and victims of a mining accident.
With the support of the German Research Foundation (DFG), systematic excavations were conducted from 2010 to 2017 by a multidisciplinary research team led by the Iranian Cultural Heritage Conservation Research Center, in collaboration with Ruhr University, the Institute of Archaeological Research, and the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum. These archaeological excavations provided fascinating insights into the technology and logistics of salt mining processes as well as evidence of at least three mining accidents.
Another ‘salt man’ mummy on display at the Archaeological Museum in Zanjan.
To date, archaeologists have found at least eight different mummies in this area, and the remains of at least eight other individuals have been discovered at the site, each “salt man” holding their own secrets. For instance, the first “salt man” discovered had type B+ blood, and 3D imaging of his skull revealed cracks around the eyes and other injuries sustained before death. He may have been struck by another person, leading to his death from a strong blow to the head. His clothing (an impressive pair of leather boots) and gold earring indicate he was a wealthy individual of high social status. However, the reason for his presence in the mine remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, the fourth “salt man” was a 16-year-old teenager, who was crushed in a small chamber of the salt mine, and this is the best-preserved body found. The fifth “salt man” was discovered to have suffered from tapeworm disease, indicating he was likely a person who consumed raw meat or undercooked food. Notably, this mummy represents the first case of this type of parasite found in ancient Iran…
Five out of the six mummies are currently displayed at the Archaeological Museum in Zanjan and the National Museum of Iran in Tehran. The sixth “salt man” remains in the mine due to its fragility and inability to be removed. Archaeologists also believe that all these “salt men” did not die together, and the oldest remains discovered date back to 9550 BC. They also suspect that more mummies may still be hidden in the mine, as many dismembered body parts from unidentified individuals have been found.
The “salt men” discovered at Chehrabad have attracted global scientific attention and demonstrate that salt preserves bodies just as well as deserts do. The weight of the salt has compressed the unfortunate miners, and the salt has drawn moisture out of their bodies, effectively mummifying them.
Since 2021, the Iranian Cultural Heritage Conservation Research Center has initiated a project to restore and organize the artifacts found in the Chehrabad salt mine.
Since 2021, the Iranian Cultural Heritage Conservation Research Center has been undertaking a project to restore and organize the artifacts discovered in the Chehrabad salt mine. Project leader Narges Afzalipur stated that it is crucial to identify and transform objects primarily used for research and study into museum-quality items. The project also includes wet and dry chemical testing, using digital microscopy, mechanical cleaning, labeling, softening and moisture-absorbing of parts, assembling and adhering components, reinforcing, packaging, and photographing. So far, the “salt men” and their belongings have been purified, cleaned, and fundamentally restored.
Meanwhile, a group of scientists from the University of Zurich in Switzerland has also published a detailed analysis of the “salt men.” Dr. Lena Ohrstrom, a member of the Mummy and Ancient Pathology Research Group at the University of Zurich, stated: “The salt men are rare examples of individuals dating back to ancient Persia and, to date, are the only known salt mummies preserved worldwide.”
X-ray analyses, repeated using computed tomography (CT) methods, have also enabled scientists to partially reconstruct the faces of the “salt men.” Histological analyses conducted at the Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology of the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, have also determined the age of the “salt men” by analyzing the skeletal maturity of the hands, feet, and knees, oral health status, as well as physical features and estimating biological sex in the bone materials based on pelvic analyses…
